Combining what was then top 3D technology with riveting action, MDK is a game unique in both presentation and gameplay, where quick reflexes, timing, and an open mind are all you really need to survive. You play the game as Kurt, a humble janitor outfitted with a high-tech experimental suit and sent in to destroy marauding aliens. Sporting a sniping system and a fast-firing machinegun, Kurt sets out to deal death to the extraterrestrial fiends and put an end to their evil ways.

From the very first level to the final confrontation, MDK proves to be an adrenaline-pumping shoot-‘em-up, borrowing the frantic jump-and-shoot themes of classic arcade games. Played primarily from a third-person perspective, MDK has you blasting bad guys, grabbing power-ups, and confronting aliens in true arcade fashion. But the deceptively simple gameplay hides a few excellent twists, the best of which is the sniper mode. Switch to a view from inside Kurt’s sniper helmet, and you can zoom in to target distant enemies with pinpoint accuracy. This new perspective gives the player a chance to use a stealthier, more subtle strategy than most conventional 3D shooters allow.

Graphically, the 3D environments are vast and skillfully executed, with varied textures and themes, but they have a lot more in common with side-scrolling arcade games than with the intricate levels from first-person shooters. MDK’s expansive levels aren’t designed with exploration in mind, but fast action. Still, there’s some variety in how you approach obstacles.

The graphics are awesome in MDK.

Some areas require stealthy tactics with the sniper gun, others challenge you to think your way past, and the rest…well, fast reflexes and blazing guns should do the trick. In those rare situations when none of the above works, you can always check your inventory for a bizarre power-up like The World’s Most Interesting Bomb and The World’s Smallest Nuclear Bomb to save the day.

While MDK feels all too short, very lean on story, and heavily steeped in the console mindset, it still has Shiny’s brand of weird, quirky fun. Take it for what it is and you’ll find it as enjoyable as any serious shooter.